


true affection sinks like a stone

by vicepoint



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, This isn't happy, i've warned y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 05:03:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6739192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vicepoint/pseuds/vicepoint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was meant to be a no-strings-attached thing. Sobbing into a pair of tits doesn't exactly scream no-strings-attached.</p><p>The conditions were no attachments, no emotions, no talking afterwards, nothing in public, definitely nobody else finding out. It was a mutual agreement. But it’s Chloe Price that Victoria's dealing with, and Chloe Price just can’t seem to live a day without breaking the rules.<br/>__</p><p>self-indulgent chaseprice is self-indulgent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	true affection sinks like a stone

**Author's Note:**

> (no, these two would not have a healthy relationship)
> 
> sorry for the words towards the end, victoria's dealing with a bunch of internalized misogyny ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

Chloe Price is a mess.

And she’s drunk as shit, so when Victoria pauses and frowns at Chloe’s sullen expression, taking her hand away from Chloe’s shoulder—she collapses against Victoria’s body. Victoria frowns harder at the sight of her; the side of Chloe’s face hot and flustered, pressing against her breasts.

Then Chloe starts crying.

Victoria’s eyes widen. She’s fucking stunned. “Christ,” she says quietly, now totally uncertain and out of her already rapidly diminishing comfort zone. She’s never had a half-naked girl with her hand down her pants just _break down_ before.

Chloe’s sobs vibrate through her chest, her tears wettening Victoria’s skin, and Victoria doesn't say a word. She doesn’t know what to say. She’s not exactly surprised, in fact, the whole ordeal is something she could probably expect—it’s just she didn’t even say anything to trigger it. She’d maybe even feel sorry for the girl if she wasn’t so fucking _confused_.

She’s blown up before, sure. The hate-sex is pretty decent. But _crying_? 

Jesus. 

It was meant to be a no-strings-attached thing. Sobbing into a pair of tits doesn't exactly scream no-strings-attached. 

The conditions were no attachments, no emotions, no talking afterwards, nothing in public, definitely nobody else finding out. It was a mutual agreement. 

But it’s Chloe Price she’s dealing with, and she just can’t seem to live a day without breaking the rules. For show or not, who fucking knows. 

The only reason Victoria didn’t really mind Chloe’s insistent rule-breaking, and didn’t scold her sooner, was because she wasn’t scared of the consequences. The only reason they had the rules in the first place was so that nobody would be stringing anyone along. And as if Victoria would be the type to catch feelings. 

So it was whatever. 

Chloe could storm into her dorm room, raging - hissing under her breath about her asshole step-dad and her negligent mom, ready to just fuck it out - all she wanted. As long as she was quiet enough, as long as it was past midnight, as long as nobody saw her.

She could kiss Victoria, smoke out with her, God, maybe even lie in bed and hold her afterwards—as long as she didn't talk to her in public, as long as she didn't try and hold her hand, as long as she didn’t think she was anything more than a quick fuck.

Because Victoria can make exceptions, you see.

 

The first time Victoria and Chloe hooked up, it was mostly an accident. Like coming across a loose thread. Something pulled with curious, ill-equipped, unruly hands – it just keeps going, and going, and going, until it's way out of control and past any point of return. So, naturally, they let it happen.

Chloe had her pressed against a bathroom wall, but Victoria still attempted to take control - grabbing blue fistfuls of sweat-slicked hair and tugging hard. Chloe was pulling back, hissing, her eyes squeezed tightly shut - and Victoria didn't even care if she was grinning or grimacing.  
  
But Chloe dived right back in, as she always does, instantaneously—pressing her mouth to Victoria's with such a force Victoria's head thumped against the wall. Instinctually, Victoria growled and bit Chloe's bottom lip, not even letting go when Chloe slammed her palm against the grubby wall tiles. (It wasn't the last time she'd do that.) 

Chloe just chuckled into Victoria's mouth, and Victoria could practically taste the whisky off of her. She dragged her hands from Chloe's hair down to her shoulders, then shoved her hard, but Chloe barely budged an inch. 

Chloe caught her scowl though, so she leaned back to get a better look at her.  

Victoria called her disgusting. (It wasn't the last time she'd do that, either.) 

Chloe took one small step backwards, but for some reason the gap between them didn't feel any larger. She flashed a cocky grin, telling Victoria that it didn't seem like she had a problem with it, and Victoria swiftly reached for Chloe's hair again. Chloe intercepted just as quickly and all of a sudden Victoria was against the wall again; arms above her head, Chloe tracing kisses along her neck. 

Maybe she didn't have a problem with it. (She would still regret it the next morning.)

Chloe accused her of having low standards then, before placing a sloppy kiss on Victoria's jaw, then her cheek, but Victoria turned her head before she could get any closer.

She told her she needed a fucking leash. Chloe grinned at that, eyes half-lidded, obviously enticed. What was it she said again? _If that's what you're into._  

If she was sober she wouldn't even let Chloe breathe the same air as her.  

She tried to tell Chloe that, but she was silenced with another kiss.  

Losing control, she let her eyes flutter shut, kissing back. It was hard, hasty, they were rushing even though there was no hurry, and it felt like Victoria was drowning—drowning in something she shouldn’t have waded in in the first place. (It was a mistake.) 

Her tongue slipped into Chloe's mouth. (It was getting worse.) 

Chloe somehow got even closer, her thigh pressing up against her crotch. (She shouldn't have surrendered herself like that.) 

A moan escaped her throat. (Weak, weak, _weak_.) 

Chloe’s hand snaked under her shirt and her knees finally buckled. Chloe kept her standing.

Victoria breathed something about her dorm room, and Chloe looked a mixture of shocked and pleased. Victoria rolled her eyes. She had some class. She was not going to spend her night at a party getting fucked in a bathroom. (That day would come, though.) 

Chloe grinned at the proposition, her breath hot and heavy so close to Victoria's face - but when Victoria looked back into Chloe's eager eyes she started to feel dizzy. Not in the good way. And her expression probably gave that away because Chloe's smile faded.

Chloe stuttered, asking if Victoria was sure. Victoria snapped.  _Fucking yes_. (No.) 

Victoria had always been a good liar and Chloe didn't pay her curtness much attention. She wondered, just for a moment, if Chloe was apprehensive too, but she didn't look look like the nervous type so she dismissed the thought.

Chloe nodded briskly, taking a step back. She glanced at Victoria’s hand briefly like she might've taken it—but must've decided against it, and moved to the door. Victoria took a few deep breaths before she pushed the door open, away, along with the rest of her thoughts.

 

Her warnings.

Her fucking survival instincts, desperately trying to kick in. 

She ignored it all. For what? She's still not sure. Good sex? The concept of somebody wanting her? A way to kill time?  

It's been a while; countless casual hookups later, but now those survival instincts are screaming at her again.

Chloe's heaving and sniffling like a bitch on top of her and it's getting weird and uncomfortable and she doesn't think she can stand it much longer. Her fingernails are digging into Victoria’s neck. 

So, she decides to let them kick in.

She tells Chloe to let go but Chloe can't hear her. She repeats it. Let _fucking_ go. A shove to her shoulders.

Chloe’s other hand quickly removes itself from Victoria’s underwear, and her grip on her neck loosens some when she starts tumbling over the side of the bed.

She falls onto the floor with a dull thud and Victoria is staring at her, appalled.

“What the fuck, Price,” she whispers, narrowing her eyes.  

Chloe looks up at Victoria with big, watery eyes and opens her mouth to say something. Then she closes it again. 

"Shit," she's mumbling, "Shit, shit, shit." 

She looks around like she doesn't know how she got on the ground. Back up to Victoria again. "Fuck."

"Excuse me?" Victoria asks, her voice sharp, leaning over the side of the bed to peer down at her.

"I'm fine," Chloe says quickly, stumbling to her feet. She trips on Victoria's purse and collides with her bedside table, taking out her jewelry stand. Bracelets fly everywhere and Chloe's on the ground again. 

"I didn't ask if you were _fine_ , I asked what the _fuck_?!" Victoria seethes, bolting upright at the sound of the crash. "This is not happening. What are you doing?" 

Chloe scrambles for the jewelry, but Victoria reaches out and grabs her arm, preventing her from inevitable harm she'll get into if she ends up stabbing herself on an earring. Chloe meets Victoria's eyes over where her hand is resting on her arm.

"Uh... didn't mean that," she replies, mumbling.  Victoria shakes her head and yanks her hand away again.

"Yeah, no shit. Come on, what the fuck are you doing? Get up. _Move_."

"Trying," is Chloe's response; she uses the bed to steady herself as she rises to her feet again. She looks really pale. Face totally white, apart from her eyes—they're stoner-red. Worsened by her crying.

When she stands up, she sways on her feet, pressing her eyes shut. She's still only wearing boxers. 

"If you're going to vomit, please leave," Victoria warns, raising an eyebrow. Chloe lifts her hand and waves the suggestion off. 

"I'm surprised. You can usually handle your drink." Victoria eyes Chloe again. 

"S'not the alcohol," Chloe groans, then hiccups. Victoria is skeptical.

"Sure."

" _Swear_." Chloe's eyes shoot open again, pleading. "Well- yeah, okay. Maybe... maybe some of it's the booze but, fuck."

Chloe shakes her head slowly at Victoria and Victoria stares back at her.

"Can't do this anymore." 

At first, Victoria doesn't know what she means. She can't drink anymore? Sure, a Chloe Price that isn't an aspiring alcoholic wouldn't be such a bad thing, but that's just not gonna happen.

But then her eyes adopt this severity, piercing right through her. " _We_ can't do this anymore." 

And Victoria thinks she gets it. She curses herself for feeling the tiniest bit disappointed; because it's probably not such a bad thing. They're not even friends, anyway. A life without Chloe Price in it would be a hell of a lot simpler.

"Okay," Victoria says levelly. "Go, then." 

It takes a few seconds for comprehension to catch up with Chloe. Then her eyebrows raise. She sputters. 

"W-wait. That's it?" 

Victoria tilts her head and glowers at her. "It was your idea." 

"But I didn't expect you to be _cool_ with it, I mean, I mean... you're okay with this just... ending?"

"Why the fuck wouldn't I be? I can get cheap fucks anywhere."

This stings Chloe apparently. She probably would've been able to hide it better if she wasn't wasted, but Victoria notices her eyebrows crease, the tremble in her lips.

"What, isn't that what this was?" 

"I- I don't know, I-"

"Jesus, this is pathetic," Victoria cuts her off. "This was nothing. I can't believe I even have to say this."

"No, no, shut up," Chloe interrupts, turning away. "I know, I know. Fine. Sure. Sex. That's what I am. I get it. Sex and drugs. Cool, cool, cool."

Victoria watches as Chloe wanders over to the window, muttering, kicking discarded jewelry out of the way. She starts to tell Chloe to fucking watch it, but then she hears something under Chloe's breath. She pauses. 

"What did you just say?" she asks. Chloe glances at Victoria, her eyes steely. She lets out a sigh.

"I said I thought that you liked me."

Victoria freezes, then looks towards the floor.

"What made you think that?" she asks, softer now.

"Don't know." Chloe crosses her arms, grimacing. "Because... you made it seem all serious with your rules and shit, but didn't care when I, y'know, screwed around with you."

She keeps going.

"'Cause you let me, like, talk to you. 'Cause I'm shit but you still fuckin'... tolerated me."

Victoria is speechless. Everything Chloe's saying is true. But Victoria is positive she doesn't like Chloe. And Chloe is skunk-drunk. So Chloe making more sense than Victoria _doesn't_ make sense.

"Guess I was wrong though, right? Everybody's tired of my shit. Everybody wants to fucking leave me."

There's some part deep inside Victoria that really, really wants to tell her that she's not wrong. And that is terrifying. 

So she decides to downright avoid the topic altogether. 

" _But_ you want this finished." 

Victoria at long last meets Chloe's eyes again. Chloe swallows, then nods.

"I can't, not..." she trails off, running a hand through her hair. Her roots are really bad. She's let the blue fade a lot now, too, it's more of a seafoam green. "Not with Rachel gone," she finishes, gazing out of the window.

Victoria's blood runs cold. 

Oh. _Oh_. _I see._

She would've been _so_ willing to let this go. But there she is. Again.

Rachel Amber.

The bitch that leaks into every fucking conversation with every person on any day at any time. 

Rachel, gone for weeks but still omnipresent, poisoning everybody's lives with her drama that she's somehow allowed to leave behind. 

Upstaging Victoria, yet a-fucking-gain.

Selfish whore.

 

Victoria bristles. "Are you serious?"

Chloe looks startled, then she frowns. "Huh?"

Victoria lets out a short huff of a laugh. Real cute. Unbelievable.

"You're right, she's gone. You're not her lapdog anymore. What's up with your loyalty to this chick that just up and left you?"

Chloe's eyes widen. Her expression goes stony. Despite intoxication, she turns away from the window pretty steadily. She shoots Victoria daggers.

"Don't," she says, her voice strained. She's giving Victoria another chance.

Victoria's skin crawls. It's her survival instincts, kicking in again. But she can't tell if they're telling her to shut her mouth or stand her ground. 

"You don't have to be her bitch anymore. She was just using you. She used everyone. You weren't special," the words tumble out of Victoria's mouth quicker than she intends.

"You're saying that crap because you're jealous," Chloe says quietly, voice wavering. Victoria ignores her words. Envy is weak.

"I'm saying that because it's the truth. You were fucked over. She's skipped town."

"You don't fucking know that!" Chloe spits. Her movements are quick and jerky now as she picks her clothes up off the floor and starts dressing herself. She's not completely sobered though; she still struggles with her zipper, fumbling with her bra strap. It's a sorry sight.

"I knew Rachel," Victoria says.

"Yeah, well you can bet your skinny ass you didn't know _shit_ about the real Rachel," Chloe hisses. Victoria winces.

Now, this is truly sad.

Who's going to be the one to break it to her?

Victoria, obviously. Because Chloe has no one else, and Victoria has nothing to lose.

"What makes you think she was being real with you?" she says blandly. "Did she even tell you about all the guys she fucked on campus?"

Chloe's face hardens.

"Probably not. You made it a lot easier for her when you got expelled. I could hear the fun she had all the way down the hall."

"Bullshit."

"What, did you never get to hear her scream like that?"

"Shut the fuck up, Victoria, I swear to fucking God-" 

Victoria hadn't noticed the tears welling in Chloe eyes. Whatever. She'll forget this in the morning.

The same way Rachel forgot about everyone.

She'd be as well finishing this.

"Figures. Of course she didn't like you back. Running away together was just your big lesbian fairy-tale fantasy, right?"

Chloe picks up the bedside table and launches it towards the opposite wall. It hits the shelves on the other side of the room. A monochrome camera falls off of the shelves onto the table and breaks upon impact.

She storms out of the room like a tornado. Victoria sits on her bed speechless in the wake of the destruction.

She doesn't let it bother her. It's just the price she'll pay for the truth to come out. She'll expose Rachel no matter the cost.

 

Her parents buy her another new camera. They don't ask how classes are coming along. They tell her to improve her GPA. They don't even know what her GPA is.

One day, she stares at her contact list.

 **C.P**.

She briefly wonders how she's doing.

No, she already knows how she's doing.

How she's _doing_ is dirtying up town with cigarette butts and missing person posters.

She shouldn't bother thinking about her any more. She'll find someone else to trail after and mope about.

She deletes Chloe's number from her phone. Scores her weed from Nate instead.

She rips down every Rachel Amber poster she sees. **WHO CARES?**

Victoria doesn't care. Victoria doesn't care.

 

__

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> whoa okay i didn't actually intend for this to get as fuqed up as it did. oops. sorry.. fuck
> 
> pleaseeeeee please please leave ur thoughts/kudos/whaever, it is greatly appreciated. constructive criticism and corrections are more than welcome too. <3 <3
> 
> title taken from True Affection by The Blow
> 
> you can find me on tumblr at marialatore


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